Hello out there...  I know you are coming to the blog because I can see the stats, but I haven't seen a more quiet blog around...

SO... I'm going to stoop to a new level and hold out a "carrot" for you so that maybe you'll be lead to leave a comment! :)-

As some of you may know, I own a Scrapbooking Kit Club, "A Kiss on the Chic".  It's been such a FUN business to own and it's become a community over the years!  In fact, that's a big reason why I wanted to have an event in Italy!  So that we could have some of our fellow Kit Club ladies get together!  Now that's not required of course, but I have enjoyed getting to know so many ladies through my business, my dream is to MEET all of them some day!!  But,  this past year I haven't done very many kits b/c I was more focused on designing for two of the leading scrapbooking companies in the industry, Teresa Collins and Webster's Pages .  But I did get in a few project kits and regular kits this year and I'm going to offer ONE LUCKY WINNER this kit:

A Floral Meadow Kit

It's a beautiful kit with lots of Prima products you can win this kit if you leave a comment on THIS POST!   Just leave a comment below and tell me this:

1.  Do you DREAM of going to Italy like I do?  2. Are you thinking of joining us on our journey to Italy next September? and 3. What is one thing you would LOVE to do if you go on this trip to Italy with us?

That will be FUN!  I would LOVE to hear your comments and I would LOVE to say HI to you as well! I think we would all have so much fun to know who is coming here and checking out this site too!  

So comment away and lets say HI to everyone joining in!!

Before I leave, I do want to do a bit of housekeeping...

For those not signed up yet, I do have a deadline for signing up.  I know it's hard to commit to something so far away, but I do have to make arrangements and make financial decisions for this event, so I do have to have a commitment for those you want to come.  This deadline is coming up in a FEW MONTHS!  I don't want to rush you... but if you DO WANT TO JOIN US, please let me know soon.  I can hold your spot for $100 this month only.  It's a great way to get your payments started, but at a lower price than usual.  So, just go for it and get your registration in!  It's going to be something you won't want to miss and really, you won't regret it!  It's Italy, it's CREATIVE time, it's RELAXING time and it's time to TOUR AROUND Lake Como, Italy! (and even maybe a peek into Switzerland... )

Hope you all have a FANTASTIC weekend!!

Laura

P.S. Always feel free to email me!

This video is from this summer when we were in Bellagio, Italy with our kids.  We were walking back to our hotel from dinner and came upon this.   This is one of the reasons we have fallen in LOVE with this place and why I want to share it with you ladies next September!

This is the Bellagio Mens Choir.  I did a bit of searching online and came to find out they are quite famous in the area, they have preformed at the Vatican, in Chicago and all around Italy.  This is just one of the nights during the summer months that they sing out in the open impromptu on one of the cobblestone streets in Bellagio.

I've emailed them to see if they actually have a schedule for these performances because it's just something you wouldn't want to miss!  I'm hoping to persuade them to do this while we are in Bellagio for our Event!!  

I also have a few tricks up my sleeve for other SURPRISES, but those will have to wait and you can just help me by keeping your fingers crossed!!

So I hope you enjoy this little video. I have another one of these men singing that same night that I put on FB, but you can find out more about them on YouTube or their Website, Corale Bilacus

Are you signed up yet???

Ciao,

Laura

Today I was thinking about Italy.  Well, that's not unusual since I think about it EVERY day.  But I was going through my photos from this past summer in Bellagio and wanted to see if I had a picture of me that was sitting, looking out, pondering life while in Italy.  Haven't found that photo yet, but thought I would share something kind of close to that.

This is part of the equation, just not me in the picture.  So picture yourself here, sitting at that table looking out at that lake.  (The little island in the middle is where Villa del Balbianello sits, perched on the edge of the island and is a beautiful villa to look at from here.)  So you're sitting here, pondering how GREAT life is at this moment and you think you might be sipping from a nice glass of wine.  Well, you might be... but before the wine comes, you will be sipping THIS:

Gazzosa!!!

Oh yeah baby, THE BEST SODA EVER!!  We tried it last summer and LOVED IT and then this summer it was the first thing we requested when we got to Al Veluu !  (check out their website, it's the MOST AMAZING Restaurant on the lake) So the owner, Luca, said he was going to have to order more because we were drinking it all!  lol..  This soda comes from the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  They get the lemons right on the edges of the lake and turn them into this AMAZING lemon soda that you CAN'T get in the U.S, except for on Ebay for a TON of money or at a little local Italian deli in NYC.  But next September.... Look out Luca, we are going to need a TON of Gazzosa for all my friends!!! 

(That's Luca next to me.  He's more than the owner, he's a friend to everyone who comes here)

These are the kinds of things you remember from traveling here, the little things that put a smile on your face months or even years later...

Now I'll go back to looking for my photo.  But I can't say I won't be back with more photo's I just can't resist sharing! :)

Laura

We have a REALLY FUN surprise to tell!

A dear friend of mine, Stayce DeWid is going to Bellagio with us and I'm SO excited!!!

Stayce DeWid is going to join us in Bellagio, Italy next September to teach a class and a make-n-take!!!  I'm SO excited that she is coming along with us!  She is a friend, an "A Kiss on the Chic" Kit Club lady who bought my kits, a talented artist, and a JOY to be around!  So please welcome Stayce to our Italy Retreat!!

She works with a lot of Scrapbook Companies and I know she's going to be bringing some AMAZING talent and goodies with her to Italy!  So come join us for a Once-in-a-lifetime event!!

Speaking of the Event...  I had a lady want to sign up but said she was busy at that time (Sept. 15-22, 2012) and wanted to know if I was going to have another one in 2013?  The answer to that is most likely no.  I would LOVE to plan this every year, but unless I have an overwhelming response to the one in 2012, I don't think I will be doing it in 2013.  So NOW IS YOUR CHANCE LADIES! hehehe...

And, don't forget you can SECURE your spot for just $!100 right now!  Spots are filling up, I just had some more sign ups in the last couple days, so don't MISS OUT.  I want EVERYONE to come if you can and I don't want it to be too late for someone either.  You can make payments next year, so just sign up TODAY and you'll be set!

I'm going to be posting a tentative itinerary on this blog later this week.  I wanted to go over a bit of our schedule because I've had a few ladies wonder about that.  I want to let you in on some time frames and such, because I can't WAIT to let you know how much FUN this is going to be!  You have a WHOLE WEEK on Lake Como ladies!  This is an AMAZING treat and I want to show you ALL the wonderful parts of it!  We are SO close to the ALPS that you can see them from your rooms, there's such quaint little towns dotted all along the lake, there's museums, villas, gardens, shopping, outlets, architecture... Pretty much EVERYTHING your heart desires right here in this JEWEL of a location!  And YOU will get to enjoy what YOU want!  I've got several different types of tours set up but YOU will get to pick what you want to do!  

So, more details later this week on that...

Have a GREAT day,

Laura

...From Italy!  

I wanted to wish you all a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and thought I'd edit a photo we took while in Lake Como, Italy this summer.  It is to remind us all of what a BLESSING it is to have friends and family that support us in our CREATIVE endeavors!

And in honor of the Holidays FAST approaching, I wanted to let you know of a Christmas SPECIAL I'm having for our ITALY RETREAT until the end of December!  I know some of you want to join us next September 15th- 22nd, 2012 but right now you have extra expenses and can't spend the $550 for the first payment to secure your spot.  

SO...

from now until January 1st, you can RESERVE YOUR SPOT for $100!

Yes, if you want to join us next September in Lake Como, Italy for a week long DREAM vacation of relaxing, creating and touring the lake side villages of Bellagio, Italy,  YOU can SIGN UP NOW FOR $100 and reserve your spot!!  Just go to the REGISTRATION PAGE and you will see the "RESERVE YOUR SPOT" button.  This $100 payment will HOLD your spot for the retreat without having to spend the $550 sign up fee required. You will then start your regular payments on January 15th and the difference in the amount owed for the total price of the trip will be added to the last payment/s. 

This is a GREAT way to SECURE your spot and it's easy on the Christmas budget right now.

We are really excited about this trip and I know all of us teachers can't WAIT to enjoy this time with all of you in beautiful Italy!!

And, as a SURPRISE...

I am going to REVEAL a new "twist" to the event!  We have another TEACHER joining us!

So check back here next Monday to see who it is!!

Hugs to all,

Laura

It's going to be a FUN month here on the blog!  We are advertising our Bellagio Event on Ali Edwards Website and as she has headed over to ITALY right now, I'm sure a lot of ladies will be seeing how AMAZING Italy is and they will see OUR event in Italy NEXT September on her blog!  So we welcome all of you who has joined us from her site!

Please have a look around and see all the information about our Scrapbook Event in Bellagio, Italy for next September.  We have TONS of information and pictures on here, but if you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me at:  laura@akissonthechic.com  I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have!

We are updating some information soon on a few other events taking place during this week long adventure in Italy next September!  I've been talking with a few wonderful ladies who we might have come along and share some SPECIAL time with us and I will share more on that in the next couple weeks.  I've been busy on back-to-back trips (I'm currently in my hotel room in Maui, Hawaii as I write this :) and once I get back, I will be focusing more of keeping this blog updated and sending out emails to people who are interested in our event!

Italy in September is the PERFECT time to explore the area!  The weather is still GREAT and in fact, the best time to enjoy the area because it has cooled down from the heat of the Summer!  The crowds have left so you get to see the REAL Lake Como, without all the throngs of tourists and you can enjoy the peaceful quality of the lake at this time of year!

I hope you will consider joining us next year!  The registration information is over on your right side and you can watch the video we put together with some fun pictures of our trip there this summer!   Under registration, there are TWO payment plans and if you want to spread out the payments to make it easy to budget, I HIGHLY suggest signing up TODAY and getting on the PAYMENT PLAN!! Think about what a GREAT Christmas present this would be for YOU!!  Or you can call all your friends and get a group of ladies together for a Once-in-a-lifetime experience!!!

Don't miss out of this incredible experience...

Welcome!!


I say "Welcome" because I've noticed a LOT of ladies have been checking out this site in the last day!

If you are coming to this blog because you saw a flyer in the San Diego area, HELLO!  My friend Cindy and I went around to five different stores in the San Diego area yesterday to see if some stores would put up our flyer... and I guess it worked!!  Yeah!

We are EXTREMELY excited about our Event next September and we really hope you can join us for an AMAZING week in Italy!!

Have a look around here, especially on the right side where I have LOTS of info for you to go through.  The main place to find out PRICING is under the "Registration" button.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the event, I'm happy to answer any and all questions.  There are two pricing options and the sooner you SIGN UP, the better if you want to spread out the payments as long as possible!

Have a Blessed day everyone,

Laura